Incinerator conversion means

ABSTRACT

A conversion means adapts existing incinerators to the disposal of wastes by compacting such wastes and thereby reduces polluting of the air by burning said wastes. The interior of the existing incinerator is modified so that any wastes collected therein can be moved from the interior of the incinerator through an already existing fire door or a specially made opening. The wastes exiting through the opening are then directed into a compacting machine which compresses the wastes into bales.

United States Patent Boyd [151 3,685,439 [4 1 Aug. 22, 1972 [541 INCINERATOR CONVERSION MEANS 72 Inventor: John A. Boyd, 3314 Holloman Rd.,

Falls Church, Va. 22042 22 Filed: May 11, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 142,167

[52] US. Cl ..100/215 [51] Int. Cl. ..B30b 15/30 [58] Field of Search ..100/215, 102

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,424,078 1/1969 Boyd et al ..lOO/2l5 X 3,557,683 1/1971 Boyd ..100/7 3,604,345 9/1971 Boje ..100/215 X 3,231,107 1/1966 Clar ..100/215 X 11/1962 Ghiringhelli ..100/215X 4/1961 Smith ..100/215X Primary Examiner-Billy J. Will'iite Attorney-Roylance, Abrams, Berdo & Kaul ABSTRACT A conversion means adapts existing incinerators to the disposal of wastes by compacting such wastes and thereby reduces polluting of the air .by burning said wastes. The interior of the existing incinerator is modified so that any wastes collected therein can be moved from the interior of the incinerator through an already existing fire door or a specially made opening. The wastes exiting through the opening are then directed into a compacting machine which compresses the wastes into bales.

9 Clains, 3 Drawing Figures INCINERATOR CONVERSION MEANS through the building and having an entrance dooron each floor of the dwelling. The occupants of the dwelling can open the door and deposit waste material therein. These wastes fall through the vertical chute into the incinerator which is usually located in the basement of the building. Periodically the waste material collected within the incinerator can be ignited and burnt and a great proportion of the waste is thereby reduced to ashes. The ashes collect at the bottom of the incinerator and are removed periodically by the building maintenance personnel.

The incinerator disposal method for wastes does, however, create certain problems. In the first place, the waste being collected in the incinerator prior to buming creates certain health problems caused by the concentration of decaying foods and other matter which might attract insects, rodents and other known disease carriers. Also, in the the incineration method of disposal of wastes, the burning of such materials will contribute to air pollution by emitting noxious gases and smoke into the atmosphere.

Because of the various health hazards and pollution hazards associated with the use of incinerators, municipalities, states and federal authorities have developed ordinances and laws which curtail, if not halt altogether, the use of incineration as a means of waste disposal. Consequently, existing incinerating facilities have become or will become useless unless they can be modified at great expense or adapted for some other purpose.

Because of the foregoing problems relating to the use of incinerators, it is a primary object of this invention to adapt existing incinerators for disposition of wastes without contributing to pollution of the environment.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a non-polluting, sanitary and safe modification for existing incinerator facilities which will allow the continued use of the incinerator and associated chute as a waste disposal means for occupants of the building housing the incinerator.

It is a further object of this invention to adapt an existing incinerator to communicate with a compaction machine and effect waste disposal by compressing any wastes collected in the incinerator into bales for later disposal via trucking to a sanitary land fill or other solid disposal technique.

It is yet another object of this invention to adapt an existing incinerator for use with a compactor without making any major structural changes to the existing incinerator.

Other objects, advantages and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

The aforementioned objects of this invention are achieved through minimal modifications to existing incinerators. The inside of an existing incinerator is modified so that some means is provided for moving collected wastes through the already existing fire door or another opening if the existing fire door is not at a convenient height. Such a moving means might consist merely of a conveyor means. In addition, a simple sloping floor can be installed inside the incinerator so that any wastes falling through the incinerator chute will be directed by gravity onto the conveyor means. Once the conveyor means is activated, the wastes collected within the incinerator will be moved through the fire doors and onto an additional waste collection means outside of the incinerator. Once outside the incinerator on this additional waste collection means, the waste material is transported either automatically or manually to a compaction machine where it is compressed into bales. The bales can be removed from the compaction machine and can be readily transported to a disposal site.

Referring now to the drawings, which form a part of this original disclosure:

FIG. 1 is'aperspective viewof the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a modified apparatus; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a typical incinerator shown generally as 2 has a pair of opposed side walls 3, a front wall 6 and a top wall 7 into which the lower end of an incinerator chute 8 enters. Front wall 6 is shown with two fire doors which, when opened, form a discharge opening 5. Inside the incinerator 2 is a transportation means 10 and'a waste director 12, the waste director 12 fonning a sloping surface interior to the incinerator.

In the normal operation of an incinerator, wastes are deposited in the incinerator chute 8 which generally runs vertically through the building in which the incinerator is installed. When the wastes fall gravitationally through incinerator chute 8 into incinerator 2,

they fall upon waste director 12 which, as will be more fully described hereinafter, includes a pair of inwardly sloping surfaces for directing the trash falling within the incinerator 2 onto transportation means 10. Transportation means 10 can be an endless conveyor belt wrapped around two rollers, one such roller being positioned near the discharge opening 5 in front wall 6 while the other such roller is positioned near the rear wall 11 of incinerator 2. The endless belt is driven by an electric motor, not shown, mounted at a suitable location within the incinerator 2 and such driving of the belt causes trash and the like resting upon the endless belt to be moved out from within the incinerator through the discharge opening 5. The trash falls off the discharge end of the endless conveyor belt 10 onto a ramp 13 which is located directly beneath the discharge opening 5 and which can project slightly beyond such a discharge opening.

While the drawings show a discharge opening 5 which is formed by fire doors 4, an existing incinerator may have fire doors at a height which is not suitable for use with the remainder of the apparatus. In such situations, the existing opening is enlarged to form a new discharge opening 5 and beneath the 3 is a trash collection means generally designated 14. Trash collection means 14 is a table, tray or other generally planarsurface upon which thewastedischarged from the incinerator can be collectedrln FIG; 1,' the collection imeansl4 includes an endless conveyor belt 15 supported by a pair of rollers 21 having an axis of rotation substantially perpendicular to front wall,6 and spaced apart so that the endless belt 15 will form a substantially flat surface upon which the trash can collect as it is discharged from incinerator 2.-.One of the rollers 21 is connected directly to a drive motor 22 which is operative to rotate rollers 21 in the direction as shown. The motor 22 is supported on a support plate 22a which is attached to one or both of the outer side walls 18 and 19 of the trash collection means 14. A standard or stanchion 20 supports the collection means 14 adjacent the corner where the walls 18 and 19 intersect. The walls 18, 19 are of sufiicient height to prevent trash from falling off the collection means 14 and ontothe floor. The drive shaft from the motor 22 extends through the sidewall 19'and connects with the driving roller 21 for the conveyor belt 15.

A conventional trash compacting machine generally designated 16 is provided at the discharge endof the collection means 14. The compacting machine .16 includes acharging opening 17 into which trash passes from the collection means 14. An additional opening or feeding chute 170 can be provided on the opposite side of the compacting machine 16.- The compacting machine can be of any suitable known type, such as is formed. as-a vibratory table 24' which is connected directly to a vibration source 25, which can be any 7 known form of vibratory driver.

those shown in my.U.S. Pat. No. 3,424,078 or US. Pat. I

No. 3,557,683. 1 Control switches 50, 51 and 52 can be mounted on the'compacting machine 16 for activating the various movable parts in the system. Switch 50-is operable to activate the transportation means 10. Switch 51 is operable to activate the motor 22which drives the endless belt 15 via the rollers 21 to move the belt 15 in the direction indicated in F l6. 1. Switch 52 is used for activating the compacting machine 16. If desired, these switches can be key operated or otherwise safety controlled to prevent their operation by unauthorized personnel.

The trash which is discharged from incinerator 2 through the discharge opening 5 moves across the ramp l3 and onto the endless belt 15 which comprises the flat surface of collection means 14. Activation of motor 22by the switch 51 causes the endless belt 15 to move in the direction shown and to discharge any trash carried by the belt 15 to be deposited into the opening 17 of the compacting machine .16. When a sufficient amount or trash has accumulated in the compacting machine 16, the switch 52 isactivated to operate the compacting machine 16 which compresses the'trash into bales which are conveniently removed.

" tion meansl0. The transportation means 10 of FIG.

The sloping sides of waste director means 12 cause any trash collected within the incinerator to slide onto vibrating transportation means 24. When switch 50 is activated, the vibration driver 25 will impart vibratory motion to the vibratory table 24, causing any trash collected upon vibratory table 24 to move leftwardly in shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1. However, instead of the conveyor 15,'the're is provided a surface 26; which is a continuous surface extending from thedischarge opening 5 to the opening 17 in trash compac- .-tor 16. Trash collection surface 26 is a planar, tabletype surface which has attached thereto a vibrating driving means 27 which, when switchSl is activated,

imparts vibratory motion to the trash collection surface Y 26. The vibratory motion imparted by vibratory means 27 will move any trash on the surface 26; forwardly into opening 17 of trash compactor 16.

Referring now to FIG. 3, wherein the interior of the incinerator 2 is shown, it can be seen that the chute 8 extends upwardly through the variousfloors 30 of a A multi-story building. Chute door 34 is representative of the chute doors which are found on each floor of the building and serve as a door through which trash can be placed into the chute 8 to fall into the incinerator 2.

When the trash falls through the vertical chute 8, it will fall into the interior. chamber 32 of the incinerator and onto either sloping surfaces 36 of the director means 12 or directly onto the trash transportation means 10. Sloping surfaces 36 which form the waste director 12 are continuous surfaces, preferably fabricated of metal, extending from the firebrick 33 on the interior immediately adjacent to the trash transportation'means 10. Sloping surfaces 36 areheld in position by supports 39 which rest upon the floor of the incinerator 2, and because of their sloping position, the surfaces 36 cause any trash falling thereon to slide under the force of gravity downwardlyand inwardly toward the trash transportation means 10. Once an amount of trash has collected on trash transportation means 10, such means is activated by the appropriate switch 50 and the trash is moved from within the incinerator 2 onto the trash collection means 16 outside 40 and ash pit 42 need not be disturbed. The only other 7 modification which might sometimes be made is to enlarge the opening 5 if the height thereof is at a difi'erent level" than the height of the compactor opening 17.

Also,=if desired or if needed, the fire doors 4 can be removed. However, even if all of these incinerator modifications are needed, they can be accomplished very quickly and inexpensively. The remainder of the conversion means is accomplished outside the incinerator 2 and does not entail any structural modification thereof.

It is readily apparent from the foregoing description that the objects as stated heretofore have been successfully met by the present invention. Although the present invention has been described with particular emphasis upon preferred embodiments thereof, modifications to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A material handling system wherein an existing incinerator with a discharge opening and feeding chute is adapted to disposal of waste without incineration, said system comprising:

transporting means within said incinerator for transporting waste from the interior of said incinerator through said discharge opening;

directing means within said incinerator for directing waste received from said feeding chute onto said transporting means;

collection means exterior to said incinerator and coupled therewith adjacent said discharge opening to collect waste discharged from said incinerator through said discharge opening by said waste transporting means; and

compactor means communicating with said collection means for compressing waste transferred by said collection means into said compactor means.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said transporting means comprises an endless belt.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said transporting means comprises a vibratory surface operative to move solid materials therealong in a predetermined direction, said predetermined direction being toward said discharge opening.

4. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said directing means comprises at least one solid surface within said incinerator, said solid surface sloping downwardly and inwardly towards said transporting means.

5. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said collection means comprises a vibratory surface operative to move wastes discharged from said incinerator into said compactor means.

6. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said collection means comprises an endless belt, said belt supported by twospaced roller means with one said roller means connected to a drive means for rotating said connected roller.

7. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said collection means and said transporting means comprise a single vibratory surface operative to move wastes from inside said incinerator into said waste compactor.

8. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said transporting means comprises an endless belt and said collectionmeans comprises an endless belt, said endless belt being movable in directions substantially perpendicular to each other.

9. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said transporting means comprises a vibratory surface operative to move solid materials thereupon in a predetermined first direction and said collection means comprises a second vib ato surface 0 erative to ove soli materials t here fi pon in a second pre t i etermine direction, said first and 7 second predetermined directions being substantially perpendicular to each other. 

1. A material handling system wherein an existing incinerator with a discharge opening and feeding chute is adapted to disposal of waste without incineration, said system comprising: transporting means within said incinerator for transporting waste from the interior of said incinerator through said discharge opening; directing means within said incinerator for directing waste received from said feeding chute onto said transporting means; collection means exterior to said incinerator and coupled therewith adjacent said discharge opening to collect waste discharged from said incinerator through said discharge opening by said waste transporting means; and compactor means communicating with said collection means for compressing waste transferred by said collection means into said compactor means.
 2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said transporting means comprises an endless belt.
 3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said transporting means comprises a vibratory surface operative to move solid materials theRealong in a predetermined direction, said predetermined direction being toward said discharge opening.
 4. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said directing means comprises at least one solid surface within said incinerator, said solid surface sloping downwardly and inwardly towards said transporting means.
 5. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said collection means comprises a vibratory surface operative to move wastes discharged from said incinerator into said compactor means.
 6. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said collection means comprises an endless belt, said belt supported by two spaced roller means with one said roller means connected to a drive means for rotating said connected roller.
 7. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said collection means and said transporting means comprise a single vibratory surface operative to move wastes from inside said incinerator into said waste compactor.
 8. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said transporting means comprises an endless belt and said collection means comprises an endless belt, said endless belt being movable in directions substantially perpendicular to each other.
 9. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said transporting means comprises a vibratory surface operative to move solid materials thereupon in a predetermined first direction and said collection means comprises a second vibratory surface operative to move solid materials thereupon in a second predetermined direction, said first and second predetermined directions being substantially perpendicular to each other. 